Shopping bag and handle structure therefor



April 18, 1961 w. GQULD SHOPPING BAG AND HANDLE STRUCTURE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 51, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NIL LIAM E UULIII .A T T'DRNEYI April 18, 1961 w. GOULD SHOPPING BAG AND HANDLE STRUCTURE THEREFOR FiledAug. 51, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'll/III INVENTOR.

WILLIAM EUULD sa /M ATTURNEY n d at s Pa e William Gould, Milbnrn, NJ. (280 Badger Ave., Newark 8, NJ.)

Filed Aug. 31, 1959, Ser. No. 836,979'

4 Claims. (Cl. 22954) The present invention relates to shopping bags and particularly an improved handle structure therefor, an object of the invention being to provide a handle struc- 'ture having a high degree oftensile strength, which may be effectually secured to the bag structure by economical manufacturing methods, and which will provide co nfortable contact with the hand gripping it under the weight of a heavily loaded bag.

It is proposed according to the invention to provide a loop handle of inverted U-form consisting of a tape-like length of plastic material of relatively wide substantially flattened cross-sectional shape having smoothly rounded longitudinal edges, and which embodies an inherent cushion structure whereby the hand-grip portion of the handle will present relatively wide fiat surfaces free of sharp edges for comfortable contact with the hand and which through its inherent cushion structure will be yieldable under the weight of the bag. Thus the bag may be carried with a high degree of comfort without the tendency of the conventional cord type ofhandle to cut into the flesh under the weight of a heavily loaded bag.

It is further proposed to provide ahandle structure of flattened cross-sectional shape formed of a suitable plastic material, as polyethylene, which is capable of attachment to the paper and cardboard bag structure by heat sealing, the flattened cross-sectional shape providing a relatively large fiat area of the handle for engagement with the paper or cardboard surface, and the plastic material having the capability of being firmly adhered to the paper or cardboard structure by conventional heat sealing methods.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a conventional type of paper shoppingbag provided with -a handle structure according to the invention, certain parts being shown broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on a smaller scale than Fig. 1 of a complete shopping bag provided with a handle structure according to the invention, the bag being shown in open position;

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view showing a shopping bag provided with a modified arrangement of handle structure according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view partially in section and on a larger scale than Fig. 1 showing the handle secured to a cardboard member by heat sealing;

lQQ

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along th line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing the handl secured by glue or cement;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7; t

Fig. 9 is another similar view to Fig. 5 showing the handle secured by stapling;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 10-10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the material of the handle according to a preferred form of the invention is formed by extrusion, transverse flattening, and longitudinal stretching steps;

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line of 12--12 of Fig. 11 and showing the form of the tubular plastic material as it emerges from the extruder;

Fig. 13 is a similar sectional view taken along the line of 1313 of Fig. 11 and showing the tube flattened between rolls to orient and widen it transversely;

Fig. 14 is a similar view taken along the line of 1414 of Fig. 11 showing the completed handle mate rial following a stretching operation between differential speed rolls which orients and stretches the plastic material lengthwise; 1

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the transversely cut end of a length of handle material according to a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing the shopping bag 10 is illustrated as a conventional paper bag having side, end, and bottom portions and the usual folds 11, which enable it to be folded fiat with the sides of the bag in substantially contacting flat relation, and to be opened to the open position as seen in Fig. 3. At its upper edge a marginal hem portion 12 is folded inwardly about a fold line 13, and at eachopposed side encloses a rectangular cardboard strip 14 to which the ends of an inverted U-shape loop handle 15 are secured, a'slot 16 being provided in the fold 13 through which the handle extends, withthe ends of the cardboard strip which extend beyond the handle engaged within the fold 13. The hem portion 12 extends below the lower edge of the cardboard strip 14, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is secured to the adjacent surfaces of the bag by glueing, glue being also applied to the sides of the cardboard strip 14 to adhere it to the adjacent surfaces of the bag and to the hem portion 12.

It is pointed out that the bag structure thus far described is of well-known conventional type, and that the handle structure of the invention may be incorporated in other types of bags and its manner of attachment varied to suit the particular circumstances. For example, there is illustrated in Fig. 4 a modified arrangement in which the loop handles 15 are formed from a single length of strip material carried from the sides of the loop handles downwardly along the outer sides and across the bottom of the bag.

According to the invention the handle 15 comprises a length of flexible plastic strip material, as for instance polyethylene, which is of flattened cross section and has a degree of yieldability or cushioning action between its opposed fiat surfaces. In the preferred form of the invention the handle material is in the form of a flattened tube of plastic material with a slight space 17 between the opposed sides 18-48 which permit the cushioning action to take place between the sides through flexing of the resiliently yieldable rounded edges 19-19 connecting the sides. The material is disposed flat-wise in the loop portion of the U-shape handle, i.e., transversely to the vertical direction of the weight of the loaded bag, so as the to present relatively wide flat cushioned surfaces for engagement with the hands, andthe ends of the length of -.material are turned 90 by-.twisting, as at 20, so that t e at s t fs a sasssei fie r n a w surface of the bag to which the handle isattachedi lntheillustrated. example of the bag :the flat surfaces engage a the cardboard strip 14, the handle being secured thereto.

priorto its assemblyin thebag. 1 I I: 7 1 a The plastic strip material of the handle lends itself to convenient and economical attachment by various m eth- 'ods. As shownfin Figs. 5 and -6 it is heat and pressure sealed, as at; 21; its relatively wide flat surface in engage- "2,9s0,si2 if ment with the paper or cardboard providing an efi ectual suriface for sealing The heat sealing'also preferably j joins 'thei'sides of; the striprnaterial, asg at22, coextem 'sively vi thitsportionsealedtothe bag structure. In Figs. 7 and 8-it is; shown secured'by: glue or cement, asv at ,2 3;1 andas shown' in Figs. -9 and 10. it=is secured by stapling, as at 24.

- In Figs. 11-14 there is'shownthe nianner in which the flattened tubular strip material employed in the handle may be economically produced; The plastic material,

for example polyethylene, is extruded in cylindrical tubular form through an extrusion die 25 and is then :succesg siyely drawn between a first pair of flattening rollers 26 and; a second pair of flattening rollers 27 which are. I driven atthigher speed than the rollers 26. The rollers 26 flatten the tubular material and orient it transversely,

while the rollers 27 driven at higher speed than the rollers 26 cause the flattened material emerging from" the rollers 26 tobe lengthened and oriented longitudinally. The combination of flattening, elongation, and orientation provides a substantial increase in footage from a given length of theextruded tubular material, as well as an increase in tensile strength resulting from the transverse and linear orientation of the molecular. structure of .the plastic material.

plastic, for example polyethylene, encased inan integral and impervious skin 30. V This may be formed -by*tl1'e I well-known procedure of palssingthefoam plastic through 1 action between the flat surfaces of the strip. 7

end forthe att achriieiit of-a ldophandle, "a loop handle of inverted U-shape comprising a seamless moisture impervious elongated r'esiliently 'flexible'pllastic tubular strip of substantially gfeater"widththan thickness comprising longitudinal tedge portions conveirlyrounded; in crosssection and opposed substantially flat longitudinal side Walls extendingintransversely -unbroken relation between said side portions and being normally spaced apart and yieldable toward each other through flexing of said edge portions, and. attachment means securing; the.:side legstosaidf flat surface areas of said-biag. 7 r 2.;The-i nvention'as defi necl in claim 1, wherein the sidelegsof saidloophandle are twisted about the longitudinal agrisof'.said;,tubular strip substantially 90 relativeto the, loop; portion intermediatesaid side legs to .present flart surfacesvfor engagement and attachment to saidflat surface areas of said bag and to dispose the side walls of said loopportion. in vertically spacedapart relation transversely to-theyertiealload direction of'a loaded bag;

, i In Fig. '15 there is illustrated a modiiied form of plastic 7 strip material. 28. comprising a core-29 of resilient foam' .3 The invention asdeflned in claim 1, wherein said tubular-strip isantixtrusiontin which the .plasticmaterial is transversely andlongitudinally orientedr v 4..The..inyention as defined in claim l, further characterized. by -a plastic foarn core; within 'said tubular strip, 

